Corn-flag Couplet

(Saw this while journeying up to Salem, Ohio and back)

Whole fields of fading yellow corn-

flags flapped furiously in the wind

TR

Headless

 

A headless windmill

rises above the dead grass

overlooking an empty

prairie sea; powerless to

move with or without the wind

TR

Morning Lochs

At dawning day

among the Kansas highlands

pools gradually appear

floating slowly, gently, lightly

between low rolling hills

swirling whitely, lapping

the bases of a starkly dark

oak here and an elm there

and spreading across

the highway with fingers

of translucent light

not quite reaching the other side

before my suburban splashes

through them without

the joyous sounds of splash

since it’s not actually water

just low lying vaporous fog

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Recycled or Trash

 

on April Fool’s Day my sister called with a really bad joke

said Dad has liver cancer

my sister cried, though, so it’s no joke

six to twelve months predicted regardless of what they do

while leaving the hospital

Dad saw two bins standing together

one for recyclable trash and one for trash trash

he said, “Next week I’ll know if I end up in the recycled or the trash”

and he laughed

my sister choked, but forced herself to laugh with him

with a Dad who thrives on being kind to our Mom and to everyone else

well, I guess God gave time to get his house in order

to accomplish a want to do list

and I have time to relish every remaining second and to say goodbye

but it’s excruciating losing a beloved, faithful, kind friend

besides Mom and my sister, the only “long-term” friend I’ve ever had

 

 

The Come and Go Sky

 

Just had a day with

the Come and Go Sky

so windy that different kinds of clouds raced past

hiding the sun, moving on

dark shadows over us, bright sunlight over us

dark

bright

gray

blue

hazy

clear

it came and went all day, just when needed